Local referee is master of snap judgments

LOWELL -- Bob Oreal is the dean of high-school football officials in the Merrimack Valley. He has been refereeing high-school games for about 30 years, mostly in the local area.

Oreal has also been officiating high-school basketball games for more than 20 years and is the assignor of officials for the Merrimack Valley Conference in both sports, meaning he schedules crews to work at all MVC games.

With the Thanksgiving Day football spotlight on full brightness -- and Oreal working the Andover-Central Catholic championship game -- he talks about being the man in the striped shirt who hopes to remain anonymous at a football game, but rarely does.

Q: How did you get started?

A: I was a middle-school teacher in Methuen and my assistant principal, legendary baseball coach "Skeets" Scanlon, asked me one day to officiate a football game with him. Back then, around 1973, officiating was not organized and athletic directors acquired their own officials. I told him I didn't know the rules ... he said I would fit right in.

Q: What does a referee see and remember?

A: We have the best seat in the house and we do not pay to get in ... if we can walk off the field and both coaches say 'nice job' that's all we can ask. It's hard to please both teams, but sometimes we do. We remember some of the good tough calls we made and when we make a mistake it's hard to forget those plays.

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We usually go out after the games and talk about the job we did and the great plays we saw. We also talk about some of the plays that we as a crew could have handled better.

Q: Do you appreciate outstanding performances, or are you too wrapped up in what you're doing?

A: Officials need to concentrate all the, time especially with today's offenses; however, all officials appreciate individual performances as well as great games. We reminisce all the time. Individual performances do not go unnoticed. Officials also have outstanding games as crews and that is what we strive for and remember.

Q: Which sport do you enjoy more, basketball or football?

A: Football was always my favorite sport to officiate. The time of the year, the weather, the bands, the big games, the camaraderie among the officials and having my son Kevin working on the crew, you can't beat that.

Q: Have fans or parents made you laugh with something they yelled at you?

A: Remember fans and parents have an agenda. They are only interested in the team they are supporting. On every call you make you only receive 50 percent of the support. Once an official realizes that, he is on his way to becoming an official. The best you can do is 50 percent approval ... wow!

Q: What's the worst weather you ever officiated a game in?

A: It was a game at Boston College High, on the waterfront in Boston, probably around 1995. Temp was below zero and the wind was blowing around 40 mph. Teams could not go onto the field until kickoff and the team doctor insisted that we put some cream on our exposed skin, otherwise we would get frostbite within 10 minutes. Another one was the Chelmsford-Billerica game on Thanksgiving. It was snowing during the game and the field was completely covered and we had no lines. Late in the game we had to measure for a critical first down. All of us, including spectators, were on our hands and knees looking for the lines.

Q: Are there coaches who you've developed close friendships with?

A: Every one of the coaches I have worked with have been great. They have a job to do and so do we. I try to keep the relationship on a professional basis. Both coaches and officials respect what the other does. I do not have a problem working any game.

Q: How much leeway to you give players who gripe?

A: This is a collision sport and tempers flare. You have to know how to handle it. If you address any gripes from the players, they feel you are not ignoring them. If a player is approaching the line or playing on the edge, we inform the coach and he will probably take him out and talk to him. No need to lose a player this way. Players are usually sensitive to personal remarks and do not go in that direction. The magic word to us on the field is, "You ...."

Q: What's the toughest call to make in high-school football?

A: The toughest call to make is the call you don't make. You as an official need to know when to throw and when to let go. That's when you have arrived as a veteran official.

Q: How do you get started?

A: There is a shortage of officials in all sports and all of us are striving yearly to replenish our pool of officials. The ANEFO and IAABO Boards I belong to conduct classes for new officials in the spring and fall. Once they pass the test, they can learn how to officiate.

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